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Economic and Social Council Distr.: General 29 April 2009 United Nations E/2009/57 Economic and Social Council Distr.: General 29 April 2009 Original: English Substantive session of 2009 Geneva, 6-31 July 2009 Item 15 of the provisional agenda* United Nations research and training institutes United Nations Institute for Training and Research Report of the Secretary-General Summary The present report has been prepared in compliance with General Assembly resolution 62/210 of 19 December 2007, in which a biennial reporting cycle for the United Nations Institute for Training and Research (UNITAR) was established, beginning in 2009, through a report of the Secretary-General to the Economic and Social Council. In the last two years, the Institute has undertaken a major strategic reform. Moreover, it is excelling in programmatic achievements. Both the reforms of UNITAR and its programmatic achievements are the focus of the present report. From a financial perspective, UNITAR has doubled its income in the last five years. The revised budget for 2008-2009 is 57 per cent higher than the actual expenditures of the prior period. Ninety-five per cent of the current budget is secured through special purpose grants. Globally, the Institute’s ability to deliver on its mandate is positive with the exception of one area, that of core diplomatic training, an issue also raised in the present report. The report recommends that UNITAR can play an important role in the overall effort to ensure more efficient service provision for training and research within the United Nations system. * E/2009/100. 09-31655 (E) 220509 *0931655* E/2009/57 Contents Page I. Introduction ................................................................... 3 II. Taking the reforms forward ...................................................... 4 A. Strengthening institutional capacity for training and research ...................... 4 B. Enhancing human capital .................................................... 5 C. Building and strengthening strategic partnerships ................................ 5 D. Rationalizing the organizational structure....................................... 6 III. Programmatic achievements ...................................................... 7 A. Environment .............................................................. 7 B. Strategic policy discussions .................................................. 8 C. Satellite applications (new technologies) ....................................... 9 D. Support to governance ...................................................... 10 E. Peacekeeping .............................................................. 12 IV. Measuring through results ....................................................... 12 V. Financial situation of the Institute ................................................. 13 VI. Areas for continued progress ..................................................... 14 A. Results-based management .................................................. 14 B. Quality development........................................................ 14 C. Technology for learning ..................................................... 15 D. Core diplomatic training..................................................... 15 VII. Recommendations .............................................................. 16 2 09-31655 E/2009/57 I. Introduction 1. The present report has been prepared in compliance with General Assembly resolution 62/210, in which a biennial reporting cycle for UNITAR was established, beginning in 2009, through a report of the Secretary-General to the Economic and Social Council.1 The present document follows the report submitted by the Secretary-General to the General Assembly at its sixty-second session (A/62/377). 2. As the first comprehensive report on the Institute’s activities to the Economic and Social Council, it presents concrete actions taken and progress made in implementing the ongoing strategic reform of the Institute, a plan first shared with the Institute’s Board of Trustees in July 2007 and referred to in the previous report of the Secretary-General (ibid.). The reform is pinned on four strategic priorities, namely: strengthening institutional capacity for training and research; enhancing human capital; building and strengthening strategic partnerships; and rationalizing the organizational structure. Major inroads have been made on all fronts, as described in section II of the present report, on taking the reforms forward. 3. Eighty thousand beneficiaries will have taken advantage of the Institute’s capacity development opportunities in 2008-2009. Since 2007, the collective vision has been to transform the Institute into a centre of excellence, measured by international standards, recognized within and outside the United Nations system, for standard-setting methodologies, high-quality training and research capacity on knowledge systems. In the light of calls for greater coherence within the United Nations system, and of General Assembly resolution 62/210, which, inter alia, reaffirmed the importance of a coordinated United Nations system-wide approach to research and training, section III of the report summarizes areas of achievement beginning by describing the Institute’s leadership in delivering through integrated training service platforms; providing a privileged space for strategic policy thinking; strengthening the Institute’s capacity development activities and approaches through innovative training methodologies; making in-roads in the area of governance training; and implementing measures to ensure results-based management in all areas of activity. 4. Section IV highlights indicators of how the reforms have been received within the United Nations compliance and oversight mechanisms. In less than two years, the Institute has: started introducing results-based management in its planning and budgeting, hence initiating a gradual shift in management culture; succeeded in implementing all but one outstanding recommendation of the Board of Auditors (see section IV); been recognized for its authority to delegate key areas of competency, thereby reaffirming its status as an autonomous Institute; and been supported by a reinvigorated and fully engaged Board of Trustees. The reforms and areas of achievement have translated into greater credibility and recognition of the Institute, as described in section IV of the report on measuring through results. __________________ 1 In compliance with paragraph 10 of General Assembly resolution 62/210, in which the Assembly decided to streamline the reporting arrangements of UNITAR through: (a) consolidation of the reports of the Secretary-General and the Executive Director of the Institute; (b) submission of the new consolidated report of the Secretary-General to the Economic and Social Council rather than to the General Assembly; and (c) establishment of a biennial reporting cycle starting from 2009. 09-31655 3 E/2009/57 5. Section V of the report details the financial situation of the Institute. UNITAR is demonstrating significant programme expansion and has doubled its income in the last five years. The revised budget for 2008-2009 is 57 per cent higher than the actual expenditures of the prior period. Ninety-five per cent of the current budget is secured through special purpose grants. As indicated in the report of the Secretary- General entitled “Financing of the core diplomatic training activities of the United Nations Institute for Training and Research” (A/63/592), from a financial perspective, the Institute’s ability to deliver on its mandate is positive with the exception of core diplomatic training. 6. In section VI of the report, areas for continued progress point to where efforts will be concentrated in 2009 and beyond, effectively constituting a second phase in the reform of the Institute and moving towards the establishment of results-based management across the Institute’s work; research on quality development and the establishment of a quality development framework to provide a basis for future implementation of quality standards, mechanisms and certification processes; the sustained utilization of technology-enhanced learning; and securing more adequate and predictable support for core diplomatic training. Positioning the Institute as a learning organization is also an ongoing effort, one which will be at the heart of efforts in the current and future bienniums. 7. In section VII, it is recommended that given the synergetic effect of the current joint leadership of UNITAR and the United Nations System Staff College, the Institute can play an important role in laying the groundwork for more efficient service provision for training (and research) within the United Nations system.2 II. Taking the reforms forward 8. Prior to 2007, rather than a coherent Institute, UNITAR operated as a combination of stand-alone programmes. Since the introduction of the strategic reform plan, UNITAR is reaching the objectives set forth therein. The present section specifies actions taken on each of the four strategic directions identified in the reform phase of the Institute. It also provides information on actions yet to be taken in 2009 and beyond. A. Strengthening institutional capacity for training and research 9. Regarding the first area of reform, strengthening institutional capacity for training and research, and in line with resolution 62/210, in which the General Assembly reaffirmed the relevance of the capacity development-related research activities of the Institute, UNITAR has established a research
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